Shortcode Item Updated
Simple & lightweight: Flexible Shortcode for showing the last updated date (and/or time) of an item of a post type.
Tested Compatibility
- WordPress: 6.7.2
- PHP: 8.3+
- Requires at least: WP 6.7 / PHP 7.4
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Description
Very useful to output the updated date of a custom post type item on a regular page, within a widget or anywhere else… :-)
Backstory: I needed something like that for a client project to display the last updated date/time of a download post type on a regular content page. Since I knew, I would need the same functionality for an other existing site and maybe in future too, I just build it into a “general plugin” rather than a simple code snippet…! There were no existing plugins/solutions out there (at least I didn’t found them yet…) that fitted my needs so I had to build it myself…
Features
- Can be used in post/ page content (also post types), text widgets and also for page builder plugins etc.
- Supports date/ time format from WordPress settings by default
- Genesis Framework: easily use this in various footer/ simple edit plugins (don’t forget post ID) or with the awesome Blox free/pro plugin and similar - it’s that easy!
- Developer friendly: customize or extend via filters, styles and styling-friendly CSS classes
- Fully internationalized and translateable! – German translations already packaged!
- Developed with security in mind: proper WordPress coding standards and security functions - escape all the things! :)
Installation
Quick Install
- Download ZIP: shortcode-item-updated.zip
- Upload via WordPress Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
- Once activated, you can use the shortcode – see Usage below
Usage - Examples
Example - default:
[siu-item-updated]
Will show only date (as set in WordPress Settings > General) for the current displayed post (ID pulled via get_the_ID()) - has to be used within the Loop in this default state.
Example - custom 1:
[siu-item-updated post_id="363"]
Will show only date (as set in WordPress Settings > General) for the item of a post type with post ID “363”
Example - custom 2:
[siu-item-updated post_id="363" show_time="yes" show_sep="yes"]
- Will also show the time
- Will show a “separator” string between date and time values (sep)
Shortcode Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Default | Translateable |
|---|---|---|---|
post_id |
ID of the post of any (public) post type | get_the_ID() = ID of the current displayed post – in this case, Shortcode has to be used within the Loop!) |
– |
date_format |
PHP date format | setting as in WordPress Settings > General | (automatically via date_i18n() ) |
time_format |
PHP time format | setting as in WordPress Settings > General | (automatically via date_i18n() ) |
show_date |
will display updated date, by default visible! | yes |
– |
show_time |
yes will display time also |
no |
– |
show_sep |
yes will display separator string |
no |
– |
sep |
optional separator string |  @ (that is a space plus @-symbol, like so: “ @”) |
yes! |
show_label |
yes will display a label string before date & time values |
no |
– |
label_before |
label string before date & time values | Last updated: (by default not shown) |
yes! |
label_after |
label string after time value – useful for languages like German to get time values like “9.40 Uhr” (see the “Uhr” string) | ”” (not displayed) | – |
class |
additional custom class for the wrapper | ”” (none) | – |
wrapper |
HTML wrapper element - any HTML5 wrapper is possible | span |
– |
Shortcode Parameters - Bonus Shortcuts
- Shortcut for German date format to get output
d.m.Ylike12.08.2016(Usage:date_format="de") - Shortcut for U.S. date format to get output
Y-m-dlike2016-08-12(Usage:date_format="us")
Widget Usage
NO LONGER recommended! Widgets are outdated, I do not recommend them (and didn’t use them myself for lots of years already!).
- Shortcode could be used with “Text” widget – if you have shortcodes for Widgets activated (possible via this filter:
add_filter( 'widget_text', 'do_shortcode' );) - If using extended/ advanced text widget plugins, the Shortcode usage then is already enabled automatically… :-)
- NOTE: You have to provide a unique post ID if using this outside of the Loop!
Template Usage (Developers)
- Use WordPress’ global “do_shortcode()” function as a template function, like so:
<?php do_shortcode( '[siu-item-updated post_id="123" show_label="yes"]' ); ?>–> parameters apply like for regular Shortcode usage (see above)!- NOTE: You have to provide a unique post ID if using this outside of the Loop!
Plugin Filters (Developers)
siu_filter_shortcode_defaults–> filter default values of Shortcode parameterssiu_filter_shortcode_item_updated–> filter Shortcode outputshortcode_atts_siu-item-updated–> lets you add new Shortcode parameters for example (= WordPress’ default Shortcode filtershortcode_atts_{$shortcode})
Changelog – Version History
v2.0.0 (March 2025)
- Updated plugin after 9 years, yeah! – Brought back to its basic beauty. (How it should be!)
- Removed additional translation loading – no longer needed; WordPress does now all we need by itself (yeah!)
- Removed support for third-party plugin “Shortcode UI (Shortcake)” which is no longer maintained, and, to be honest, no longer needed
- Brought changelog to Readme file here, CHANGES.md file removed
- Changed plugins versioning from date-based to version number based, which makes more sense here
- Changed to version v2.0.0 just to express the fresh restart
- Updated .pot file, plus packaged German translations
Version 2016-08-19
- Updated Readme file
- Updated .pot file plus German translations
- Improved security and polishing of plugin
Version 2016-08-12
- Added Shortcut for German date format to get output
d.m.Ylike12.08.2016(Usage:date_format="de") - Added Shortcut for U.S. date format to get output
Y-m-dlike2016-08-12(Usage:date_format="us") - Added support for plugin “Shortcake” to give Shortcode an UI :-)
- Updated and corrected translations
- Approved compatibility with WordPress 4.6
Version 2015-05-26
- Bugfix for variable name in translation loader
- Refined Shortcode parameters
- Added label “Last updated:” (defaults to not being shown!)
- Made separator string translateable (makes sense for a lot of languages to have a “sane default” then)
- Added translations to the plugin; plus default .pot file and German translations
- Added “get_the_ID()” as the default value of “post_id” parameter – Note: in this case the Shortcode could be used as is [siu-item-updated] but within the Loop!
- Added CHANGES.md file for changelogs
- Added installations instructions to readme
- Improved readme overall
- Minor formatting stuff
Version 2015-05-25
- Initial release on GitHub
Copyright © 2015-2025 David Decker – DECKERWEB.de